Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-06-23
He Killed The Bear.

A Baptist Minister'S Desperate Tusslc and
Lucky Escape.
A Chicago Tribune correspondent, writ
ing from Parkersburg, w Va, says: Rev.
DR.. Webb, a minister OF the Baptist faith,
who is we'll known in the interior count
les, had rough time of it not very long
ago while travelling through The woods
The section of country to which his 6a-
ties call him is sparsely settled, and is full
of game and bears, wildcats and panthers
The preacher had repeatedly been ad-
vised TO carry revolver or gun, but never
went armed with anything more formid.
able than a pocket-knife until after his
recent encounter.
On recent trip over the mountains the
preacher was quietly walking along the
top of ridge which was thickly covered
with heavy timber, when ne was rudely in
terupted by q pig like grunt directly in
front of him. Reising his eyes, expect
ing to see d stray hog, he found himself
face to face with a large bear, whose suap-
ping little eyes betrayed an intention to
discuss the right of way with the rev.
erend gentleman. Mr.. Webb threw mp
his hands and shouted at Bruin aud adj
vanced in threatening manner, expect
ing to see the bear amble away in fright
But the unorthadox brute didn'b run; on
the contrary, he reared up on bis hind
legs and advanced ogard the minister in
a threatening manner, with mouth open
and his black paws stretched out ready
to embrace his opponent in a warn. if
not affeetionate, manner. The preacher
lodged behind large oak tres and drew
his pocket knife.
Just as the bear reached the tree the
doctor lodged aroUnd to the other side,
but was quickly followed by the bear.
The subsequent proceedings interested
the doctor 30 such an extent that he for.
got the text for the Aext Sundays sermoa
on which he had been Eliminating. Round
and round they seTIIied; sometimes the
bear would get close enough to reach the
doctors coat sleeve or skirt, ON which oc-
casion he would eliminate a portion of
the doctors appeared, and the doctor
would return the complement by plung
ing the knife Blade into the BEARS paw
neck or nose. IN short time the doctor
was almost completely stripped of coat
sleeves and skirt, and lad n number of
severe scratches on his arms and body,
whiie the bear had received dozen or of
cuts and stabs frora the preachers
knife.
1t didn't take many E.jautes of this ex-
srcise to convince the preacher that he
was not an adept in kiliiag bears, and he
concluded TO climb tree, By a lucky
stroke he stnck his knife IN the eye of the
brute, which lay down. and whined pitt.
fully. taking advantage of the oppor-
t1Dity, Webb ran to the nearest tree with
s0WIyiDg branches and scrambled up, but
none too soon, for the bear was on his
feet and after him before he reached
safe limb A bear is an exetent climber
and in trice was in the tee with Webb,
who began to climb further ont on the
limb. The bear followed. him up NATL he
was within fou. or FIVE feet Of Webb,
when the limb began TO settle toward the
ggound. Bruin hesitated 4 moment, and
tRen carefully advanced until he was
within reach OF Webb's arm, when the
latter lunged ont for the sear's sound eye
AND succeeded il plunging his knife into
the brute's head. The beq1 lost his bal
anee and fell to the groDnd. The limb,
which mad been thus bent at an angle of
forty degrees by Ene combined weight of
preacher and bear, suddenly few back to
its natural position, throwing the preach
eg into the AIR. His 2ecent was more
rapid than grGeeful, and he landed al
most on top CT the bear, which was by
this time getting upon his feet. Webb
was not hurt by the fall and before the
Gear could get his sound eye in proper
bearing Webb stabbed him in the neck
and severed she juglar Rein. In another
moment Bruin wa~ieed as the preachers